CN119317880A

CN119317880A - Method for decorating a timepiece component

Info

Publication number: CN119317880A
Application number: CN202380044389.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: N·庞索
Original assignee: Manufacture dHorlogerie Audemars Piguet SA
Current assignee: Manufacture dHorlogerie Audemars Piguet SA
Priority date: 2022-06-03
Filing date: 2023-06-01
Publication date: 2025-01-14
Also published as: EP4286963A1; WO2023233344A1; EP4533184A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for decorating a timepiece component (30), in particular a skeleton watch dial. The member (30) includes at least two different visual appearances, each visual appearance being a unique combination of surface state and color. The decoration method comprises the steps of i) providing a component blank (10) comprising a first original surface (10 a), ii) applying a first end segment (12) having a first surface state on said first original surface (10 a), iii) depositing one or more layers of atoms on the first end segment (12) to impart a first colour (14) to the first end segment, iv) applying a second end segment comprising at least one corner break on the blank so as to form at least one chamfer or at least one chamfer (18) comprising a second original surface (18 a), v) applying a second end segment (20) imparting a second surface state on said second original surface (18 a), and vi) depositing a metal layer, preferably rhodium or gold layer, on the second end segment by electroplating, PVD or ALD to impart a second colour (22) to the second end segment.

Description

Method for decorating a timepiece component

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a method of decorating a component using a variety of surface treatments. The method is particularly suitable for decorating skeleton type dials. The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising one or more timepiece components obtained according to the method for decorating components, in particular a skeleton dial, a core plate, one or more bridges and/or a balance.

Background

It is known that the surface of a decorated timepiece component (such as a dial, a bridge or a movement board) can be given an interesting visual appearance. Specifically, the surface of the member has been conventionally processed by a method such as wire drawing, beading, satin finishing or sand blasting to give it a certain structure. This method involves a single step of machining the surface to be decorated to obtain the desired visual effect. This step may be combined with other steps to apply a thin layer color using, for example, PVD or electroplating methods.

As an example, EP3220212 discloses a method for decorating a timepiece component, comprising a step of preparing the timepiece component, a step of anti-corrosion and a step of colouring to form an external decorative coloured layer. CH711122 discloses per se a method for producing a decorative coating with a white surface, which decorative coating is obtained by superposition of layers deposited using electroplating and CVD methods.

The decoration possibilities offered by these methods are limited to a limited selection from a few well known solutions, which makes it impossible to provide original decoration solutions.

Furthermore, the known decoration methods must meet high quality standards, so that the decorated component is able to withstand the stresses, in particular the shocks and accelerations, that the watch (in particular the sports watch) may withstand. For this reason, the number of steps of the known method is reduced to limit the production costs.

CH717065 discloses a method of manufacturing a timepiece component that allows a series of variations to be achieved from a technical and aesthetic point of view. In particular, the manufacturing method involves machining the timepiece component to form a substantially flat face and at least one side face adjacent to the substantially flat face. The chamfer edge is then machined at the junction between the substantially planar face and the side face, and the coating is then applied directly to the roughened surface of the chamfer edge.

The aim of the present invention is to propose a method for decorating a timepiece component that allows to give the component a wider range of different visual appearances.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a method for decorating a component, in particular a dial, especially a skeleton dial, so as to improve the visual quality of the component.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a component, in particular a watch dial, in particular a skeleton-type watch dial, which is resistant to stresses to which a watch, in particular a sports watch, may be subjected.

Disclosure of Invention

These objects are achieved, inter alia, by a method for decorating a component comprising at least two different visual appearances. Each visual appearance is a unique combination of surface state and color. The decoration method comprises the steps of i) providing a component blank comprising a first original surface, ii) applying a first end segment (terminaison) on said first original surface giving a first surface state, iii) depositing one or more atomic layers on said first end segment to give the first end segment a first colour, iv) applying at least one corner break on the blank to form at least one chamfer or at least one chamfer comprising a second original surface, v) applying a second end segment on said second original surface giving a second surface state, and vi) depositing a metal layer, preferably rhodium or gold layer, on the second end segment by electroplating, PVD or ALD to give the second end segment a second colour.

According to one embodiment, the decoration method further comprises a step of applying a sacrificial protective layer on the first color between step iii) and step iv). The sacrificial protective layer is removed after step vi).

According to one embodiment, the member is selected from the group consisting of a watch bridge, a plate, a pendulum, a dial with one or more windows and a skeleton dial. The dial may also include a time stamp.

According to one embodiment, the timepiece component is made of a copper alloy (such as nickel silver), steel (such as 316L steel,Etc.), ceramic or noble metal (such as gold, platinum or palladium).

According to one embodiment, the first end is obtained by sandblasting, shot blasting, straight, circular or spiral satin grinding, bluing (azurage), manual or mechanical hammering, twisting, beading, solar shingle wave finishing, manual engraving or polishing.

According to one embodiment, the second end section is obtained by linear satin grinding, planing, manual beveling, manual engraving or sandblasting.

According to one embodiment, step iii) comprises performing a PVD, ALD or electroplating process on the first end segment.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a timepiece component, in particular a bridge, a plate, a dial with one or more windows or a skeleton dial, obtained by the decoration method of the invention.

According to one embodiment, the member is a skeleton type watch dial. The latter comprises a dial portion and a hollowed-out portion defined by the outline of the dial portion. The dial portion preferably comprises a flat surface extending in the plane of the dial, and a chamfer arranged around the hollowed-out portion. The dial portion includes a first end segment and a first color so as to have a first visual appearance. The bezel of the dial includes a second end segment and a second color to have a second visual appearance different from the first visual appearance.

The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising a member obtained by the method of the invention, in particular the skeleton dial mentioned above.

Drawings

Examples of embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the description shown in the drawings, in which:

Figures 1a to 1h schematically show the various steps of a decorating method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 shows a view of a skeleton-type watch dial obtained by a decoration method according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in steps 1a to 1g, the method comprises a first step comprising performing a first decoration operation on the original surface 10a of the blank 10 of the timepiece member, to obtain a first end segment 12 according to fig. 1 b.

For the skeleton dial shown in fig. 2, the method comprises, before the decoration operation, a step consisting in realising a hollowed-out portion 32 on a dial blank in the form of a solid disc comprising the original surface. This operation is preferably achieved by a wire-cut electric discharge machining method.

The component blank 10, in particular the dial blank, is preferably made of a copper alloy, in particular nickel silver, capable of withstanding the mechanical stresses, in particular the accelerations to which the sports watch may be subjected.

The first end segment 12 is performed on the original surface of the dial portion surrounding the different hollowed-out portions. These original surfaces are preferably flat and typically extend to the surface of the skeleton dial.

The first end segment 12 may be obtained by different decoration techniques, in particular by sandblasting, to obtain a certain roughness, by satin grinding, which comprises laying on the original surface 10a of the blank 10a set of extremely thin and parallel strips, for example rectilinear, circular or spiral strips, in order to capture light from a plurality of angles. Other techniques may be used to machine and construct the original surface 10a of the blank 10 to impart an original visual appearance thereto, particularly by sandblasting, twisting, beading, solar shingle wave finishing, manual or mechanical hammering, manual engraving, polishing or even bluing.

Blanks made of other materials, in particular steel, such as 316L-type mild steel, may also be used to avoid corrosion, noble metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, or even ceramics or titanium.

Once the first end segment 12 is completed, a PVD (acronym for "physical vapor deposition" in english "Physical Vapor Deposition") process is carried out on the first end segment 12 in order to deposit under vacuum a thin film 14 of the desired colour (fig. 1 c), in particular black. Instead of PVD processing, ALD (acronym for english "Atomic Layer Deposition," atomic layer deposition ") processing or electroplating processing may also be performed to obtain the thin film 14. A sacrificial protective layer 16 (fig. 1 d) is then applied to the entire dial. The protective layer may be, for example, an epoxy varnish to protect the film 14 from particles produced in a subsequent step of the decoration method described below.

According to fig. 1e and 2, the skeleton dial is then machined to cut corners, for example the corners of the outline of the hollowed-out portion 32 of the dial, to obtain bevels or chamfers 18, these bevels or chamfers 18 allowing, among other things, the exposure of the substrate (for example nickel silver) constituting the blank. These bevels or chamfers define the periphery of the hollowed-out portion 32 of the dial. A second end segment 20 is then realized on the original surface 18a of the chamfer or chamfer 18 (fig. 1 f). As with the first end segment 12, the second end segment 20 may be obtained by different decoration techniques, in particular sandblasting, straight satin grinding, planing, for example performed using diamond tips, manual beveling or manual engraving.

Once the second end 20 is achieved, a forming operation is typically performed on the dial to give it its final shape.

Referring to fig. 1g, an electroplating process is performed after the forming operation, the electroplating process being performed on the second end segment 20 to deposit a metal film 22 of a desired color. The metal film is, for example, a rhodium film, a gold film, a NAC film, or a black NAC film, which is a black coating of deep anthracite.

Then, a varnish removal operation is performed by applying a solvent to the entire dial so as to remove the epoxy varnish protective layer 16. A transfer operation is then carried out on the dial, in particular to realize a dial time scale.

The decoration method is also applicable to timepiece members made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and to timepiece members made of titanium or titanium alloy. For such materials, an anodic oxidation process may be used to impart first and second colors to the first and second end segments, respectively.

Although the above description mainly describes a decoration method applied to a skeleton dial, the method can be applied to any other timepiece component, including a main surface (preferably flat) and one or more bevels or chamfers. The method can therefore be applied in particular to a timepiece bridge, a plate of a timepiece movement, a pendulum of an automatic movement, or a dial comprising a time scale and/or one or more bevels or chamfer windows.

Furthermore, according to a variant of embodiment, the coloring of the first and second end segments 12, 20 can be achieved in the same way. For example, both the first and second end segments 12, 20 may be subjected to a PVD/ALD process or an electroplating process. However, care must be taken to ensure that the parameters of these processes differ between the first and second end segments 12, 20.

Thus, dial 30 of fig. 2 includes two different visual appearances, each of which is a unique combination of surface state and color.

Claims

1. A method for decorating a timepiece component (30), the component comprising at least two different visual appearances, each visual appearance being a unique combination of surface state and color, the decorating method comprising the steps of:

i) Providing a component blank (10) comprising a first original surface (10 a);

ii) implementing a first end segment (12) imparting a first surface state on said first original surface (10 a);

iii) Depositing one or more layers of atoms on the first end segment (12) to impart a first color (14) to the first end segment;

iv) performing at least one corner break on the blank to form at least one chamfer or at least one bevel (18) comprising a second original surface (18 a);

v) applying a second end segment (20) imparting a second surface state on said second original surface (18 a), and

Vi) depositing a metal layer, preferably rhodium or gold layer, by electroplating, PVD or ALD on the second end segment to impart a second color (22) to the second end segment.

2. The decoration method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of applying a sacrificial protective layer (16) on the first color (14) between step iii) and step iv), the sacrificial protective layer (16) being removed after step vi).

3. The decoration method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the member is selected from a watch bridge, a plate, a dial with one or more windows, and a skeleton dial.

4. Decoration method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component is made of steel, gold, platinum, palladium, ceramic or copper alloy, in particular nickel silver.

5. Decoration method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first end section (12) is obtained by sandblasting, shot blasting, linear, circular or spiral satin grinding, bluing, manual or mechanical hammering, twisting, beading, geneva wave finishing, manual engraving or polishing.

6. The decoration method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second end section (20) is obtained by linear satin grinding, planing, manual beveling, manual engraving or sandblasting.

7. Decoration method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step iii) comprises implementing a PVD, ALD or electroplating treatment on the first end segment (12).

8. Timepiece component, in particular a bridge, a plate, a dial, a skeleton-type dial, having one or more windows, obtained by a decoration method according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. Timepiece component according to the preceding claim, in the form of a skeleton-type watch dial (30), comprising a dial portion and a hollowed-out portion defined by the outline of the dial portion, the dial portion comprising a surface and a chamfer or chamfer arranged adjacent to the surface of the dial portion and around the hollowed-out portion, the surface comprising the first end segment and the first colour to provide a first visual appearance, the chamfer or chamfer comprising the second end segment and the second colour to provide a second visual appearance different from the first visual appearance.

10. Timepiece comprising a timepiece component according to claim 8 or 9.